Mi 8 Explorer Edition gives a glimpse of the future with a stunning transparent glass back and 3D face unlock, a first for Android smartphones

SHENZHEN, China, 31 May 2018 — Global technology leader Xiaomi unveiled today a slew of exciting products at its largest launch event ever, highlighting its stunning flagship Mi 8 series packed with world-class technology innovations making their world debut. Other new products announced include Mi Band 3, the next generation of Xiaomi’s wildly popular fitness band, as well as Mi VR Standalone created in partnership with Oculus, and Xiaomi’s largest LED TV ever, the gorgeous 75-inch Mi TV 4.

Xiaomi also showcased MIUI 10, the latest version of its proprietary operating system built on the Android kernel, offering a thoroughly upgraded user experience optimized for full screen displays.

Mi 8 and Mi 8 SE will be available in China starting 5 and 8 June, starting at RMB 2699 and RMB 1799, respectively. Mi 8 Explorer Edition is priced at RMB 3699 and will be available at a later date.

Lei Jun, Founder, Chairman and CEO, Xiaomi, said: “As we mark our 8th year with significant milestones and prepare to enter a new stage in our journey, Mi 8 and Mi 8 Explorer Edition celebrate our growth and truly show how far we have come. They demonstrate Xiaomi’s commitment to relentlessly pursuing innovation, and our dedication to deliver amazing products at honest pricing. Pursuing innovative technology and outstanding design is in our DNA, and we will continue to push boundaries and constantly improve ourselves, as we set out to win the hearts of our users.”

Mi 8: Xiaomi 8th Anniversary Flagship

Driven by its bold innovative culture, Xiaomi has rolled out a number of groundbreaking technologies making their world debut in its latest flagship smartphone series.

Mi 8 is the first smartphone in the world to adopt dual-frequency GPS, supporting both L1 and L5 bands, resulting in much more accurate navigation. Meanwhile, Mi 8 Explorer Edition is the first ever smartphone in the world to use pressure-sensitive in-display fingerprint technology, and is also the first ever Android device in the world that comes with 3D face unlock.

Mi 8 is a perfect unification of aesthetics, ergonomics and quality. It features a four-sided curved glass back panel, aviation-grade aluminum frame and a 2.5D glass screen. It sports a 6.21-inch FHD+ Samsung AMOLED full screen display with an 18.7:9 aspect ratio and 86.68% screen-to-body ratio.

Mi 8 elevates the exceptional photography experience Xiaomi delivered with Mi MIX 2S, blowing the competition out of the water thanks to professional tuning from Xiaomi’s camera lab. With a 12MP dual AI camera, Mi 8 received a 105 photo score from the respected camera benchmark organization DxOMark — becoming the fourth best smartphone camera in the world. On the front, Mi 8 sports a 20MP camera that uses pixel binning technology to combine information from four pixels to create one large 1.8µm pixel for clearer photos in low light.

With new software features including the AI-enabled Studio Lighting function, portraits now look like they were shot in a professional studio setting. In addition, Xiaomi’s AI Beautify 5.0 delivers a number of facial retouching effects for amazing portraits.

Mi 8 also features face unlocking with an infrared camera paired with a dedicated infrared illuminator.

Mi 8 Explorer Edition is the first ever smartphone in the world to use pressure-sensitive in-display fingerprint technology, meaning it has a dedicated pressure sensor that activates unlocking more quickly.

Mi 8 Explorer Edition is also the first ever Android device in the world that comes with 3D face unlock — using advanced structured light technology that can rapidly match measurement points on a face while at the same time cutting down 3D data processing to save power. Also new in the Mi 8 Explorer Edition is an emoji function that allows users to create their own animated emojis based on their facial expressions.

Rounding off the Mi 8 series is the slim and stylish Mi 8 SE, designed for those who favor a smaller smartphone. With a 5.88-inch Samsung AMOLED full screen display, it is the first in the world to use Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragon 710 SoC, which boasts significant performance gains compared to Snapdragon 660, while saving more than 30% in power consumption.

MIUI 10: Designed for the full screen display era

MIUI 10 is a breath of fresh air, delivering an exceptional user experience that is set to wow users with its upgrades in design, speed, AI, sound and content.

With a series of easy-to-use full screen hand gestures without the virtual buttons, along with new features such as more content in the tiled taskbar and improved swiping gestures (up and down for switching tasks, sideways to end current task), users will be delighted at the increase in their multitasking efficiency.

In addition, a new Driving Mode takes full advantage of the Xiao Ai voice assistant to control the smartphone in a car, so users can safely use features such as navigating to a location and reply messages while still paying attention to the road.

Giving a huge boost to earlier Xiaomi smartphones with single-lens cameras, MIUI 10 is able to render beautiful AI bokeh effects even without a dual camera.

The internal beta version of MIUI 10 (China) will be available from 1 June, while the public beta starts from late June for selected models including Mi 8, Mi MIX 2S and Redmi Note 5. The public beta for remaining models will start in late July.

Mi Band 3, Mi VR Standalone and Xiaomi’s largest LED TV

With a large OLED touchscreen display in addition to a physical button for easy control, Mi Band 3 is an all-round upgrade on Xiaomi’s wildly popular fitness tracker, complete with a more comfortable and secure wrist band, along with a 20-day battery life and 50-meter water resistance.

For those looking to enhance their content viewing experience at home, the gorgeous 75-inch Mi TV 4, which is Xiaomi’s largest LED TV to date, allows users to immerse in a theater-like experience right in their living rooms. It supports the highest quality 4K HDR videos, complete with the Xiao Ai voice assistant for an amazing content discovery experience.

Delivering an entirely new way to experience VR in China, the Mi VR Standalone headset, co-developed with Oculus, is making its debut today, allowing users to travel to another world without the need for a cable, external sensors, or a dropped-in mobile phone.